Though he initially enlisted to serve in World War II, LaVoy came to love flying so
much he made a career in the Marines. Over 28 years, LaVoy served during three wars
(he flew helicopters in Korea and Vietnam), watching as the Marines came more and
more to rely on helicopters. In his early flights during the Korean War, LaVoy found
himself improvising to compensate for the lack of sophisticated equipment. Once, during
a flight to Seoul, his passenger, a general, couldn't resist leaning out of the aircraft to act
as LaVoy's navigator.